


North Pole Nargles

by Gemfae



Series: Gemfae's HD_Owlpost Contributions [15]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Jealousy, M/M, Misunderstandings, Nargles, Not Your Average Santa Claus, Short & Sweet, very little angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:53:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21631744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemfae/pseuds/Gemfae
Summary: The Head Elf has a crush on Santa Claus. The Number 2 Elf is interfering. The wardrobe designer has a solution. No one knows why Jack Frost is there.OR:After the war, Draco decides to create his own charity modeled after the North Pole, with himself as Santa Claus. This is what happens on one specific Christmas Eve.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood/Pansy Parkinson, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Gemfae's HD_Owlpost Contributions [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1255409
Comments: 5
Kudos: 114
Collections: Harry/Draco Owlpost 2019





	North Pole Nargles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [leontina (Leontina)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leontina/gifts).



> For Leontina: This idea came from your prompt for Santa Draco and Sexy Elf Harry. Hope you enjoy!

The North Pole was a flurry of activity on Christmas Eve morning. The House Elves were everywhere at once- using magic to create last-minute gifts, making breakfast for the other occupants of the North Pole, and tending to the reindeer. Scattered among the House Elves were witches and wizards, known here as Christmas Elves, double-checking the Naughty and Nice List, assisting with making the presents, and handling administrative duties. The Head Christmas Elf was walking among the other elves, offering encouragement, suggestions, and praise as he made his way through the workshop; it was his job to make sure everything ran smoothly and to boost morale when Santa was busy elsewhere- or, like today, when Santa was sleeping in to prepare for the long night ahead.

“Hey mate, just did the rounds and everything is secure,” Ron Weasley entered the workshop with a grin, then shook his head, “I still can't get over seeing you dressed like that.”

“Yeah, well just wait; there's been talk about creating a new uniform for the security elves. Santa doesn't think you look festive enough, so I'm sure you'll be getting your own pointy hat soon, complete with bells.” Harry glanced down at his own outfit, which consisted of a red tunic with gold buttons over a long-sleeved gold undershirt, black hose, a gold belt, red shoes with gold bells on the toes, and a red pointed cap with gold trim and a gold bell. He was dressed like the other Christmas Elves, except their trim and accessories were silver instead of gold and Harry had a gold Christmas tree brooch pinned to his collar. “Besides, what's wrong with my outfit? This is what Christmas Elves are supposed to look like.”

“There's nothing wrong-"

“Except you look exactly like all the other Christmas Elves,” a brisk voice interrupted Ron, and the two men turned to see the head of the wardrobe department approaching. Pansy Parkinson was eyeing Harry's clothing with distaste. “Actually, Potter, I've decided it's time to update all the uniforms. Having all the Christmas Elves dressed identically made sense for the first few years, but now it just looks tacky. Why don't you let Blaise take over out here for a while and we can start on your new clothes? As Head Elf, you should get your new uniform first.”

“There's too much to do out here,” Harry countered, “If anything goes wrong Santa will blame me, no matter if I left Blaise in charge. Besides, you have my measurements; you can just send the uniform to my room. Oh, feel free to take Blaise for a fitting, though. I need to go check in with the kitchen elves; I'll talk to you later Ron. And if you have any issues, Pansy, come find me.” Harry gave them both a nod and then headed off in the direction of the kitchens.

“That man,” Pansy fumed, glaring at Harry's back, “Why does he have to make everything so difficult? He is so frustrating!”

“Sorry Pansy,” Ron shrugged, “I told you it probably wouldn't work; you know how Harry is on Christmas Eve.”

“He always has an excuse, though,” Pansy pointed out, “If it's not his Head Elf duties, it's the children's home, or Teddy, or charity Quidditch games…and, yes, I know these things are important, but I swear! If that man doesn't let me fix his wardrobe, I will stun him and drag him to my shop!”

“A sleeping potion would probably work better,” Ron said, “Winky would probably even help you with it. Let's wait till after the new year to try that though; in the meantime, you might as well take Blaise for his fitting.”

“Blaise is a lazy layabout,” Pansy countered, “He’s probably still in bed; I don’t know why he hasn’t been fired yet. Oh well, never mind; I’ll see you later Ron. Oh, and Potter was right-you will be getting a new uniform after Christmas. Toodles!”

** **

The rest of the day passed in a similarly busy manner for Harry. There were always kitchen mishaps which caused the House Elves to panic, at least one reindeer tended to act out, the naughty and nice list was forever being misplaced, and, on occasion, Jack Frost and his snow imps showed up to cause mischief wherever they could. Then, when Blaise finally made his appearance, the second-in-command seemed to thrive on countermanding Harry’s orders, meaning Harry had to work twice as hard just to keep everything running smoothly. By the time the supper bell rang, and everyone got ready for Santa’s send-off, Harry was ready to rip his hair out-or hex Blaise and Jack Frost; maybe banish them both to somewhere far away. Honestly, this was only their second year having the North Pole operational, and Blaise was more of a hindrance than a help. As for Jack Frost, Harry had no idea where he came from; he suspected Frost was either a Veela or George Weasley in disguise. Harry was betting on the latter.

Finally, Santa appeared at the top of the stairs leading down into the workshop, and Harry stopped to stare at him along with everyone else.

Santa looked nothing like the modern depictions of the mythic being; he was not fat, he did not wear a red suit, he was not old, and he wasn’t jolly either-smug, was a better description. Santa was tall, with pale skin and blue-grey eyes. His hair was the color of moonlight, and he had a neatly trimmed beard. He wore a pale blue tunic over white trousers with white dragonhide boots and a white belt. The tunic was sleeveless, revealing toned arms, and Santa’s lips were curved in a smirk as he surveyed the workshop.

“Report, Number One,” Santa commanded, and Harry rolled his eyes; he may have decided to play Santa, but Draco Malfoy was still as arrogant as ever.

The North Pole was Draco’s creation, his way of making reparations for his actions during the war. The blond hadn’t wanted to throw money at charities and ministry employees to redeem his name; instead, he decided to make his mark his own way. Harry had originally found out about the venture from Hermione, who helped Draco negotiate a contract for the House Elves he wanted to hire. Harry had been intrigued, and, already tired of being an Auror after just two years, asked Draco if he could be a part of the project. Draco had been reluctant at first, worried that Harry would be given all the credit, but he eventually agreed to let Harry help. Harry quit the Aurors and spent the majority of his time helping Draco remodel the manor and get the North Pole built.

By the time Draco decided to hire on more witches and wizards, the blond had made Harry an equal partner and named Harry the Head Elf, stating that Harry would be in charge whenever Draco was unavailable. It took them three years to get the North Pole operational, and during that time Harry got to see a new side of Draco. Sometime during those three years, Harry had begun to fall for the snarky blond, but he kept his feelings to himself, afraid to ruin their partnership-and their newfound friendship.

“Everything is ready, Santa,” Harry replied, “The new sleigh with built-in time-turners was tested again today and works as it should, and the reindeer are ready to go. The gifts have been loaded into the sleigh, and there is a basket of food and Pepper-up potions in the front seat. The Naughty and Nice List is also in the sleigh.”

“Very well,” Draco smiled- a genuine smile, not a smirk- at everyone, “Then it’s time for me to be off.”

“Here, Santa,” Blaise sauntered up the stairs, holding dark blue robes embroidered with silver stars, “I thought you might like new robes this year.” Harry glared at Blaise’s back; he really couldn’t stand that man!

“I believe my robes from last year will suffice,” Draco replied, holding out his hand and summoning them. The robes were dark green velvet embroidered with silver thread and had soft white fur on the cuffs of the sleeves and the edge of the hood; Harry had gifted them to Draco last year and he shot Blaise a smug smile, happy that Draco liked them enough to wear them again this year.

“Of course,” Blaise agreed, “Perhaps you can wear these another time.” Blaise banished the robes, then grinned at Draco, “I don’t suppose you have room for a friend in your sleigh.” Draco tilted his head, narrowing his eyes as he considered Blaise.

“Actually, I think there might be just enough room,” Draco said, before glancing at Harry, whose breath caught at the heat in Draco’s grey eyes; was the blond actually choosing Harry over Blaise? “What do you say, Harry?” Harry pushed his disappointment away, as he realized Draco was just asking him if the sleigh had enough room for two. He briefly thought about lying but decided he didn’t want to be petty.

“Yeah,” Harry agreed, and then had to look away when Draco’s grin brightened, “There should be plenty of room for two. Er, have a safe flight, Santa. I’ll see you when you get back.” Harry quickly turned and left the room, missing the disappointment that flashed across Draco’s face.

** **

Harry remained in the kitchen with the House Elves until he was sure Draco was gone, then made his way to the floor of the manor that held all the offices. Harry stopped outside of Pansy’s office, hand raised to knock, when the door swung open and a hand reached out to pull him inside the room.

“Finally!” Pansy exclaimed, “I’ve been trying to get you up here all year! Are you finally going to let me make you a new uniform?” She didn’t wait for a response, but immediately flicked her wand and set her tape measure to work.

“Yeah,” Harry said, “That’s why I’m here. Er, Parkinson?”

“We’ve been working together for two years now,” Pansy interrupted, “Call me Pansy.”

“Okay, Pansy,” Harry said, “Are Draco and Blaise…dating?”

“Not to my knowledge,” Pansy replied, “Blaise isn’t really one for serious relationships, and Draco isn’t stupid enough to fall for his charming act; they roomed together for seven years, so Draco knows all of Blaise’s moves. That’s enough.” The tape measure fell to the floor, and Pansy asked, “So, does this mean you’re ready to admit you like Draco? It took you long enough.”

“How did you-” Harry shake his head, “Never mind. Yes, I like him, I just don’t know what to do about it. I don’t want to mess up our friendship, and he never looks at me…that way.”

“That’s because he doesn’t think you could ever like him back,” Pansy said in a no-nonsense tone, “What you need to do is capture his attention; new clothes will help with that.” She gestured at a door in the back of the office, and it opened. “Go try on the clothes in there.”

Harry crossed over to the dressing room and found some skimpy clothes. He looked at the outfit doubtfully but decided he could at least try it on. As he closed slipped his tunic off, Harry heard the office door open followed by the soft murmurs of conversation.

A few minutes later, Harry stared at himself in the mirror, horrified at his reflection. The outfit Pansy provided for him was a pair of black satin briefs and an emerald green corset with black ribbons-and nothing else.

“Parkinson!” Harry shouted, “I am not wearing this in public!”

“Well, of course not,” Pansy called back, giggling, “That is for wearing in private; I just need to make sure it fits. Come out, Harry darling; I still need you to try on your new uniform.”

“I’m not coming out wearing this!” Harry protested, and started to undo the laces; really, he wasn’t sure what possessed him to even try the clothes- if they could even be called that- on.

“Oh, stop being such a prude,” Pansy said, and the dressing room door swung open. “Oh, my,” Pansy said, “I take back what I said before; you should definitely wear that to the workshop. If you do, I guarantee Draco will notice you.”

“Not going to happen,” Harry glared at the brunet witch, then looked over her shoulder as the sound of giggling caught his attention; “Luna? I didn’t know you were here. Parkinson, give me some real clothes now.”

“Oh, but you look very nice in that, Harry,” Luna said in her dreamy voice, “The Nargles will definitely clear up if Draco sees you in that.”

“Harry isn’t ready for that, Luna-love,” Pansy said, smiling softly at her girlfriend before turning her attention back to Harry, “Well, at least it fits. Here; I already had this made, I just needed your measurements so I could make the final adjustments.” She summoned a bundle of cloth- thankfully much more substantial than what he was currently wearing- and ushered Harry back into the dressing room.

When Harry finished changing into the new outfit, he was happy with what he saw. His new outfit consisted of an outfit similar to what Draco had been wearing. Harry had on black hose with an emerald green sleeveless tunic that fit him like a second skin; he had on black dragonhide boots instead of the pointed elf shoes, and a black dragon leather belt with a gold buckle. He also had emerald green robes that were an exact match for Draco’s, but the embroidery on Harrys’ robes was gold.

Harry stepped out of the dressing room and was immediately accosted by Pansy, who held an armful of accessories. Within moments, Pansy had used her wand to lengthen Harry’s hair before braiding small sections of it and weaving tiny golden bells through the braids.

“The bells are charmed to remember this style,” Pansy told him, “When you want to take the bells out, just tap one of them with your wand and say “Bed”. When you want to braid them back into your hair, tap one and say “Braid”. Simple enough, yes?”

“Er, right,” Harry agreed, as Pansy then insisted he wear at least one bell bracelet and a black choker with a gold bell.

“You don’t have to wear them all the time,” Pansy told him, “But you did want to capture Draco’s attention tonight, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but all this is just-”

“Perfect,” Luna said from her seat in the corner, where she was reading a book upside down, “The bells are just what you need to chase away the Nargles.”

“Now, you will be the only Christmas Elf wearing green,” Pansy told him, “The rest of them will wear either red or purple, maybe dark blue. They also won’t have robes like you do. I’ll have the rest of your uniforms finished and sent to your room, along with some clothes for when you’re off duty. Don’t argue,” Pansy glared at him, and Harry snapped his mouth shut, “You’ll need the clothes when you and Draco go out. Speaking of which, get out of my office; go find something to entertain yourself with until Draco returns, and don’t mess up all my hard work!”

Before he could blink, Harry found himself standing out in the hallway and staring at the closed door to Pansy’s office. Shrugging, Harry made his way to his office; Draco wouldn’t be back for several hours, so Harry figured he may as well get started on ideas for the new year.

** **

Just before dawn, Harry returned to the workshop to wait for Santa’s return with everybody else. He briefly thought about going to the stables instead, so that he could be the first person Draco saw, but ultimately decided he’d rather be with everyone else. This way it would be less embarrassing if Draco didn’t respond to his new look.

After what seemed like hours but was in reality only minutes, Draco entered the workshop-and Harry was happy to see that Blaise wasn’t with him. Draco’s eyes roamed the workshop but settled on Harry fairly quickly.

“Tonight was a success,” Draco announced, and the workshop erupted with cheers, “For the second year in a row, we have brought a little light into the lives of those who need it most. I already have many ideas for the coming year, plans to make our North Pole even better than it is now…” Draco’s stormy blue eyes never once looked away from Harry as he gave his end of the year speech, and Harry found himself trapped in that gaze.

“…and I look forward to many successful years to come,” Draco finished, and everyone cheered once more, “Yes, well done everyone,” Draco said, “Now, take the time to relax and recharge; your time is your own until January second.” The workshop slowly cleared as House Elves and Christmas Elves alike congratulated one another on a job well done; only Harry and Draco remained motionless among the sea of excited beings until Draco finally gave Harry a sharp nod.

“My rooms, Number One,” Draco said, “Five minutes.” The blond walked away without waiting for a response, and soon Harry was the only one remaining in the workshop. He slowly made his way into the manor proper, and then to the suite of rooms Draco had taken for himself. As Harry approached the tall ebony doors, they swung open to allow him entrance. Harry hesitantly entered the sitting room, only to find that it was empty.

“Draco?” Harry called out, wondering if he had arrived before the blond was ready to see him; Draco told him five minutes, but the other man may have decided to take a shower before talking to him.

“In here,” Draco called, and Harry noticed that the bedroom door wasn’t closed all the way. Draco had never invited Harry into his bedroom before, so he was careful when he pushed the door open. There was an alcove across from the door, with a loveseat facing the floor-to-ceiling windows. Draco was standing in the alcove with his back to the door, looking down at the grounds as the sun slowly rose higher in the sky.

“Er, you wanted to talk to me?” Harry ventured, jumping when the door clicked closed behind him.

“I did,” Draco confirmed, turning away from the window, “This is your new uniform?”

“It is,” Harry said, fingering the bracelet, “Well, sort of. I mean, the clothes are part of the uniform, and I think Pansy wants me to wear my hair like this, with the bells. So I stand out more, as Head Elf. The bells though-I mean the extra bells, like the bracelets and the choker- are just for tonight.”

“Just for tonight?” Draco repeated, and Harry nodded, not sure how to read the look in Draco’s eyes as the blond approached them, “To get someone’s attention, perhaps?” Harry nodded again.

“Yes,” he whispered, as Draco stopped right in front of him. The other man raised one pale, slender hand and traced the edge of the choker, before gently flicking the bell to make it ring.

“My attention?” Draco asked, and Harry nodded once more. He licked his lips and started to speak, but Draco was faster; he leaned down- the blond was a couple of inches taller than Harry- and captured Harry’s lips in a passionate kiss. One of Draco’s arms wound around Harry’s waist, pulling him closer, while the other hand tangled in his hair, making the tiny bells jingle. Harry found himself mirroring Draco, with one arm around the other man’s waist, and he cupped the back of Draco’s neck with his free hand.

The kiss was a passionate clash of tongues and teeth as each man sought to taste the other; Harry had wanted this for so long, he couldn’t get enough of Draco’s touch. Draco began to shuffle backward, drawing Harry with him across the room. When the backs of Draco’s knees hit the bed, he allowed himself to fall, pulling Harry down with him, then quickly flipped them so that Harry was on the bottom. Draco broke the kiss to trail kisses down Harry’s throat, and Harry burned to feel Draco’s skin against his own. Before he could act on this desire, Harry felt Draco yawn against his throat, and couldn’t stop his chuckle from escaping.

“You must be exhausted,” Harry murmured, using his hand in Draco’s hair to pull the blond back up, “How many times did you go back?”

“Four,” Draco replied, trying and failing to hold back another yawn, “Doesn’t matter though; I’ve waited too *yawn* long to get you *yawn* in my bed.”

“And I’ll still be here when you wake up,” Harry promised, “Sleep, Draco.”

“Bossy,” Draco murmured, sliding off of Harry. The brunet maneuvered Draco until they were both under the covers, then let the blond pull him until he was lying with his head on Draco’s chest.

“Hey, Harry?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t you want the bells out of your hair?”

“Oh, right.” Harry summoned his wand- which he had placed on the nightstand- and tapped one of the bells, “Bed.” A dozen or so bells unwound from his hair and gathered in his hand; Harry banished them to the nightstand and put his wand back as well before snuggling up against Draco. The blond’s breaths were deep and even, and Harry thought Draco was asleep until the other man called his name again.

“Harry?”

“Hmmm?”

“I’m taller than you,” Harry could hear the smirk in Draco’s voice; he rolled his eyes, even as he smiled.

“Go to sleep,” Harry said, “I’ll hex you if you don’t.” Silence. Harry felt himself drifting off, only to be woken by his name being whispered again.

“Harry?”

“Draco, I swear I will hex you,” Harry growled, “Go to sleep.”

“I passed Luna on my way here,” Draco said, ignoring the threat, “She said she was glad to see the Nargles are gone. What are Nargles?”

“They live in mistletoe,” Harry replied, “That’s all I know. Oh, and Luna said the bells would keep them away, and so would my new clothes.”

“Ah,” Draco said, pressing a kiss to the top of Harry’s head, “Now I understand. No more misunderstandings, and no more Nargles. Good night, Harry.”

“Night, Draco,” Harry replied. Moments later the sun shone through the windows, bathing the room in soft golden light as Harry and Draco fell asleep in one another’s arms.


End file.
